Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) collapsed from a seizure during a celebratory luncheon yesterday at the U.S. Capitol.
The Bay State politician, who is reported to have recovered well, suffers from a brain tumor and had a similar episode in May.
While close friends said that Kennedy was in good spirits, the seizure still had a draining effect. "It took a lot out of him," Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said, according to the Associated Press. "Seizures are exhausting."
After Kennedy fell ill at the luncheon, paramedics rushed to the scene and raced him to the Washington Hospital Center, where he remained last night for observation.
His sudden removal from the event on a stretcher caused widespread concern among his colleagues, who have feared for his health since his diagnosis last year.
Tufts trustee Alan Solomont was not at the luncheon but was sitting near members of the Kennedy family during the inauguration.
"It's just awful news," Solomont told the Daily yesterday afternoon as Kennedy's status remained unclear. "We hope and pray that he's OK and that he can continue to do the work he's so determined to get done."
Kennedy, who has served in the Senate since 1962, endorsed Barack Obama for president last January. "I think as much as anybody in the United States Congress, he [is] looking forward to working with Barack Obama," Solomont said.
More from The Tufts Daily
